The Girl
by MissFox1
Summary: Set in the middle of season 2. Sam and Dean save a mysterious girl who has been tortured by vampires. Why did they keep her alive so long and how did she escape? Dean believes there is something suspicious about her, while Sam is eager to defend her. Is she a friend or a foe?
1. Chapter 1

Dean and Sam are driving along an empty road at midnight. Sam's eyes wander casually over the forest of trees that passes by until he notices movement. He can tell there is a young female being chased by something very fast. Without taking his eyes off the forest, he grabs Dean's arm and urgently tells him to stop the car.

Dean: what? Why? What's going on Sammy?  
Sam: there's a girl being chased by something in the trees, we have to help her!  
Dean: are you sure? What's chasing her?  
Sam: I don't know, but it's abnormally fast!

Dean slams on the brakes and the car comes to a stop. They both get out of the car and look towards the forest. Sam notices movement again and points towards it.

Sam: There! We gotta hurry, it's closing in on her!

Dean heads towards the trunk of the car to get weapons, then realises they have no idea what they're hunting.

Dean: (shaking his head) Sammy we don't know what this is, how are we gonna kill it if we don't know what weapons we need?

Sam starts doubling over in pain, his hands clutching at his head. His eyes squeeze tightly and he groans in pain. Dean hurries over to him and grabs his shoulders.

Dean: Sam what's happening? Are you alright?

Sam drops to his knees and he sees a vision. He sees a girl gagged and tied up to a wooden chair against a wooden beam in a dusty, rundown warehouse. She's covered in bite marks and scratches and looks exhausted and terrified. He sees a man and a woman approach her with eerie smiles. Tears start rolling down her face and she shakes her head, silently pleading with them not to hurt her. The woman laughs at her and says the fear only makes it better for them. The man steps closer and opens his mouth, revealing several rows of sharp fang-like teeth. The girl tries to scream through the gag but it doesn't help her; the man leans down and chomps into her neck viciously. The woman follows and bites down on the other side of the young female's neck.

Sam comes to, and stands up. Dean watches him closely with a concerned frown.

Dean: what did you see Sammy?  
Sam: (whispering) vampires.  
Dean: plural? How many?  
Sam: two that I know of. They're gonna eat her to death. (fear shows in his eyes)  
Dean: not if we stop them, let's go!

Dean rushes back to the trunk to grab a crossbow and silver tipped arrows. Sam rushes off into the trees, unarmed.

Dean: what are you doing?! You can't chase after vampires with no weapons!

Sam doesn't answer. He continues running in the direction of the girl being chased. Dean growls, grabs the crossbow and runs after him.

Sam knows he's crazy for chasing after the girl without any weapons but he can't stop. He hears her screaming in terror and automatically runs even faster. He dodges around countless trees, trying not to trip and sprain his ankle on twisted tree roots. All of a sudden he sees her, backed up against a tree, covered in bloody scratches and bite marks, just like his vision. Both sides of her neck are badly wounded as though she's been fed on repeatedly. He realises his vision wasn't a prediction, but was showing him what has already happened. He stops running and slowly approaches her. She's panting and crying and her eyes keep darting around. She sees him and screams.

Sam: it's ok, I'm here to help you.

He holds his hands up and walks slowly towards her. She shakes her head and presses her back against the tree ever harder.

Sam: I'm not going to hurt you.  
Vampire: no, but _I_ am.

Sam whirls around and sees the female vampire from his vision. She looks angry and hungry. Sam realises he is defenceless and takes a few steps backwards, towards the girl and the tree. The vampire licks her lips and strides towards him, but all of a sudden an arrow pokes through her chest from behind. She looks shocked and stares down at the arrow sticking out of her. The silver tip shines in the moonlight and she realises her life is over. She screams in agony just before her entire body disintegrates into dust, leaving the silver tipped arrow resting on the dirt.

Sam notices Dean jogging towards him, holding a crossbow. He sighs in relief as Dean bends down and picks up the silver tipped arrow. Dean stands up and looks at Sam angrily.

Sam: Thank God you got her, she was so close and I didn't have any weapons -  
Dean: no, you didn't have any weapons, are you crazy? How could you chase after vampires without any weapons?!  
Sam: I wasn't chasing the vampires, I was chasing the girl!  
Dean: what girl?!

Sam spins around and sees that the girl has gone.

Sam: she was right here, against that tree!  
Dean: are you sure? I didn't see anyone else except the vampire  
Sam: I didn't imagine her Dean!  
Dean: sure about that Sam? Maybe you got confused with the vision you had?  
Sam: no, I definitely saw her!  
Dean: (doesn't really believe him) then how did she get away so quickly?  
Sam: I don't know but we gotta go after her!  
Dean: (sighs) which way did she go?

They both stand still and listen carefully. They can hear movement in the distance and start running towards it.  
Sam races ahead, desperate to find her. Dean shouts at him to wait but he ignores him.  
Sam eventually finds her, facing a tall brick wall. She's trapped and can't go anywhere. She frantically slams her hands against the bricks, screeching as she realises she has nowhere to go. She's exhausted and terrified and faces a dead end. She spins around, crying and panting in frustration and fear. She notices Sam slowly approaching her and lets out a quick scream of surprise. She pushes herself against the brick wall, trying to be as far away from Sam as possible.

Sam: (breathless) it's ok, I'm not going to hurt you.  
Girl: (pleading) _please_ don't hurt me..._please_ let me go...  
Sam: (frowning in confusion) it's alright, I said I wasn't going to hurt you  
Girl: (shaking in fear, tears streaming down her face) please don't hurt me.. I promise I won't tell anyone...  
Sam: (slightly frustrated) I'm not going to hurt you, I'm trying to help you.

Dean catches up, also breathless.

Dean: damn you run fast! You on the track team or what?

The girl doesn't respond, she just watches him in fear. Dean sees how terrified she is and puts his hands up to show he means no harm. He realises he's holding the crossbow and decides to put it down onto the ground, slowly, making sure she sees.

Dean: it's ok, I put the crossbow down, see? We aren't here to hurt you. I killed that vampire that was chasing you, did you see that? (smiles proudly) To be honest I kinda expected a little more gratitude than this -  
Sam: (turns to face Dean) Dean! They've been torturing her, let me handle this!  
Dean: come on Sam I'm just tryna lighten the mood a little.

They both hear a rustling sound and turn around, realising the girl has run off again. Sam growls, frustrated that Dean distracted him, then runs off to follow the girl. Dean throws his hands up in the air then picks up his crossbow and runs after them both. He finds Sam crouching over the girl, who is on the ground.

Dean: (panting, amused) what did you do to her Sammy, you said you weren't going to hurt her  
Sam: (frustrated) I didn't _do_ anything to her Dean, she must have tripped and knocked herself out. (stands up) Let's take her to the car.  
Dean: to the car? What for?  
Sam: so we can help her Dean. She's been tortured and probably has no idea where she is. She's exhausted and overwhelmed. She's probably lost a lot of blood. Oh and there's at least one other vampire looking for her, not to mention he'll also be looking for you because you killed his friend. Need any more reasons?  
Dean: yeah you're right... let's take her to the car. But if she gets dirt all over the seats I'll be pissed.

Sam rolls his eyes and lifts the girl into his arms then follows Dean back to the car.


	2. Chapter 2

At the car, Dean puts the crossbow back in the trunk while Sam lays the girl onto the backseat. Her body feels cold so he covers her with a blanket and looks at her with concern. He carefully brushes away some dirt from her shoulder, making sure not to touch her bites or scratches. Dean walks by and sees what Sam is doing and grins.

Dean: who knew a damsel in distress could win you over so quickly Sammy..(winks)

Sam closes the backseat door and gets in the front passenger seat, ignoring him. Dean gets in the driver seat, grinning, and they drive away.

After a few minutes of driving, they come across a motel and stop. Dean goes inside to pay for a room, and Sam goes straight to the backseat to check on the girl. He checks her pulse and her forehead for a temperature. He sees Dean walking back towards the car, dangling the keys to their room, so he picks up the girl, ready to take her straight inside. Dean realises the girl has left dirty marks on the car seats; he looks at Sam with a frustrated look then motions to the mess. Sam gives him a 'don't mess with me' look; Dean sighs, closes the car doors and leads the way to their room. As soon as Dean unlocks the door, Sam rushes in and gently lays the girl down onto a bed against a wall.

Dean: (concerned) how is she? Is she going to be alright?  
Sam: (making sure the blankets are covering her well) she's alright, I think. Strong pulse, no temperature. Her body's really cold though. And she's shivering.  
Dean: she's in shock. What happens when she wakes up?  
Sam: I don't know. She needs to rest for now but we should feed her when she wakes up. She probably hasn't eaten in days. Is there a bath here? We could wash her scratches and see if she needs any stitches on her neck.  
Dean: (smiling, amused) should I leave you two alone when you give her a bath?

Sam sighs, stands up, and walks away from the bed towards Dean.

Sam: (whispering) look Dean, I felt something when I saw her. Something inside of me.  
Dean: (more amused) oh I bet you did -  
Sam: (frustrated) that's not what I meant! I felt a connection to her in my vision, like I know her or I _should_ know her, or something. I can't explain it. But it feels like..if something bad happens to her, I'll regret it.  
Dean: (sighing) ok, ok. Relax. I'm just messing with you Sam. I agree we should help her out when she wakes up.  
Sam: thank you...  
Dean: (grinning) I just think it's cute you finally found yourself a little girlfriend

Sam rolls his eyes and walks to the table. He grabs a chair and puts it next to the bed and sits down, watching the girl.

Dean: you're going to watch her sleep, too?  
Sam: (not taking his eyes off the girl) In my vision I saw two vampires. When the other one picks up her scent, he'll come here trying to find her. I wanna make sure that doesn't happen.  
Dean: good thinking Sammy. Well that's great news for me, means I can get me some sleep. (satisfied chuckle)

Dean takes off his shoes and jacket then flops down onto the second bed. Sam remains sitting, next to the girl, watching her intently. Dean quickly falls asleep.

Back in the forest, the male vampire from Sam's vision runs through the trees. He sees the ashes and sniffs the ground, realising they belong to his lover. His face contorts with rage and he snarls. He stands up and angrily runs off to find whoever is responsible.


	3. Chapter 3

Around 7am, the girl moves slightly as though she is about to wake up. Sam is slumped over the back of the chair but jolts to alertness when the girl moves. She opens her eyes and sees Sam and immediately struggles to stand and back herself into the corner of the bed, against the wall. Sam stands up quickly, the chair falls over behind him, and he raises his hands to show that he isn't going to hurt her. Dean wakes up and sits up, watching with caution.

Sam: it's ok, I won't hurt you, I promise.  
Girl: who are you? What do you want?  
Sam: I'm Sam, over in the other bed is my brother Dean. We're just trying to help you, that's all.  
Girl: (starting to cry) I don't understand  
Sam: (confused) I won't hurt you, please trust me.

Sam steps closer to the edge of the bed very slowly. The girl watches him and whimpers slightly, pushing herself against the wall as much as she can.

Sam: I won't hurt you, please calm down, you're exhausted and weak and you need to rest  
Girl: what are you saying? You talk so fast  
Sam: (very confused, speaks slowly) I won't hurt you  
Girl: (looking at his mouth, unsure) you won't hurt me?  
Sam: (slowly) I promise I won't hurt you

Sam notices that she won't take her eyes of his mouth and realises she probably thinks he is another vampire.

Sam: it's ok, I'm not a vampire. If I was, I wouldn't be able to be this close to your blood without going crazy

The girl continues to stare at his mouth, frowning in uncertainty.

Girl: who are you?  
Sam: (slowly and clearly) I'm sam. Behind me on the other bed is my brother Dean.

Dean smiles and waves, to no avail. The girl doesn't take her eyes off Sam.

Girl: (very slowly) Sam?  
Sam: yes, I'm Sam  
Girl: (small smile) Hi Sam  
Sam: (smiling back) Hi

In the background, Dean rolls his eyes and lies back down to sleep.  
The girl swallows nervously. Sam slowly reaches his hand out, offering it to the girl. She bites her lip and briefly looks at the hand, before looking straight back to Sam's mouth. She slowly reaches her own hand out and places it in Sam's, and his fingers close around hers. She relaxes away from the wall as Sam gently pulls her. She steps onto the floor in front of him and looks up at him.

Sam: see? I won't hurt you.  
Girl: (surprised) I can hear you  
Sam: what do you mean?  
Girl: I can hear you speaking  
Sam: (confused) you couldn't hear me before?  
Girl: no, I couldn't hear anything.  
Sam: but you can hear me now?  
Girl: (confused, nods)...(smiles up at him) thank you  
Sam: for what?  
Girl: for saving me from the vampire and taking care of me

Sam smiles back at her. He opens his mouth to reply but is interrupted by Dean.

Dean: get a room you guys

Dean gets out of bed, walks over to the table and sits down. He grabs a bag of chips and starts munching on them.

Dean: Although technically, you're already in a room, so my joke was a waste of time  
Sam: (smiling and shaking his head) your jokes are _always _a waste of time  
Dean: aren't you going to introduce me to your new girlfriend?

Dean winks at the girl and she blushes slightly. Sam sighs

Sam: that's my brother Dean. Dean, this is...uh  
Girl: Sarah..  
Dean: Nice to meet you, Sarah. (winks and grins at her as he munches on the chips)

Sam notices Sarah is licking her lips at Dean, and realises she is looking at the bag of chips.

Sam: you must be starving!

Sam strides over to Dean and grabs the bag of chips from him. Dean doesn't move, but a shocked and confused expression develops on his face. Sam walks back to Sarah and offers the bag to her. She looks at it warily and sadly shakes her head.

Sam: we don't have anything else on us right now, but we can take you somewhere to eat if you -  
Sarah: (scared) no! don't make me go back out there! The other one might be there  
Sam: ok, it's ok, you don't have to go back out there

Sarah holds her hands to her ears with a concerned look on her face.

Sam: you must be starving though right? You gotta eat something  
Sarah: (relaxes) Maybe I should clean up first. I'm dying for a shower. (looks at the bed behind her, sees the dirt) I've made a real mess of the bed. (looks back at Sam as though she might get in trouble.)  
Dean: (under his breath) forget about the bed, what about the dirt you left in my car?  
Sam: (turns around to glare at him) Dean -  
Sarah: I messed up your car too?  
Sam: (looks back at Sarah) let's worry about that later. (smiles) If you wanna take a shower there's a bathroom just there. (points to bathroom door)  
Dean: well you two have fun showering each other, I'm gonna go find some more food

Dean stands up and walks towards the door.

Sam: aaaaand, while you're cleaning up, Dean will bring back some food for you. (turns to glare at Dean) Won't you Dean?  
Dean: (standing in the doorway) I will? Oh right, I will.

Dean walks outside and shuts the door behind him. Sam looks back to Sarah and smiles nervously at her. She gives a small smile back then walks towards the bathroom and opens the door.

Sam: will you be ok? Do you want me to help you?  
Sarah: (looks back at him, confused) help me in the shower?  
Sam: (embarrassed) wait no that's not what I meant -  
Sarah: what did you mean?  
Sam: uh I just meant, you're injured and probably in a lot of pain, I wasn't sure if you'd want someone to help you..  
Sarah: (smiles, understanding) oh  
Sam: (awkward silence, smiles nervously) I'm sorry, I didn't mean -  
Sarah: no it's ok Sam, I understand. (small smile) Thank you. I'll be ok. (smiles more)  
Sam: (laughs nervously) ok, cool.

Sarah closes the bathroom door behind her and Sam sighs at himself. After a moment he hears the shower turn on, and listens to make sure she isn't struggling with anything. After a few minutes he relaxes, then realises she won't have any clean clothes to wear. He decides to quickly run across the road to their car to see if there's anything in there that she could wear.

Dean ends up only finding a nearby vending machine. He buys a few different things, shoves them into his pockets then starts walking back to the room. Just before he opens the door he hears Sarah scream from inside. He urgently opens the door and realises the noise is coming from the bathroom. He runs over and opens the bathroom door and sees Sarah wrapped in a towel, held from behind by a male vampire. The vampire's face is red and blotchy and blistering.

Dean: (shouting) let her go you son of a bitch  
Vampire: (glares at him) it was you wasn't it?  
Dean: let her go or I swear I'll -  
Vampire: you'll what? You don't have any weapons on you this time. (grins)  
Dean: well, no. But I'm sure my brother will show up any minute and –

Suddenly, a silver tipped arrow shoots past Dean and hits the vampire straight in the chest, missing Sarah by an inch. She screams and the vampire turns to ash and disintegrates onto the bathroom floor, the silver tip making a small clang as it hits the tiles. Dean turns around and sees Sam standing in the doorway to the room, holding the crossbow, and nods at him. Sarah stumbles on the wet floor towards Dean and presses herself against him, sobbing. She cries against his chest and he soothes her by stroking her hair.

Sam feels a quick tinge of jealousy before he strides towards Sarah and Dean and looks around the bathroom.

Sam: my eyes were on the front door the whole time. He came in through the bathroom window? He followed us here?  
Dean: must have. Probably picked up our scent from the woods.  
Sam: (realisation) he waited until she was alone  
Dean: looks like it  
Sam: but it's broad daylight? How could he stand the sunburn?  
Dean: I dunno, Sam, but he did.

Sarah pulls away from Dean and looks at them both and shakes her head.

Sarah: I'm so sorry  
Dean: (frowning, confused) sorry for what?  
Sarah: for making the vampire come here  
Dean: it's ok Sarah, it's not your fault. He was trying to find me because I killed his girlfriend in the woods back there.  
Sarah: it's still my fault -  
Sam: no Sarah it's not your fault. If anything it's my fault for leaving you alone. I didn't think the vampire would come out in the sun and attack in broad daylight. (looks disappointed in himself)  
Dean: it's no one's fault, ok? These things happen.

Sarah slowly stops crying. Dean decides to go to the car to get his suitcase of clothes. Sam slowly walks Sarah out of the bathroom towards the bed.

Sarah: wait, my clothes are still in the bathroom.

Sam walks over to the desk and picks up a tshirt and pair of shorts he found in the car. He brings them over and hands them to her.

Sam: I went to the car to find some clean clothes for you. It's usually just Dean and I so this was the best I could find. (smiling sheepishly)  
Sarah: (smiling faintly at him) that's ok Sam, I appreciate any clean clothes.

Sam smiles at her for a few moments. She looks at him with a small smile, waiting for him to turn around so she can get dressed. Sam realises and quickly spins around, laughing nervously.

Sam: (embarrassed but laughing) ahh sorry, I didn't mean to stare at you like that  
Sarah: (smiles) it's ok Sam. I know it must be hard not to look at how messed up I am. Even after a shower I still look awful. My neck and arms are covered with bites and scratches. No matter how hard I scrubbed I still feel like I'm covered in dirt and dust.

Sam assumes she's finished and turns around and sees Sarah from behind in the shorts. He starts to turn back around but notices her sides are covered in deep purple bruises and red burn marks. She picks up the shirt from the bed and slips it over her head.

Sam: (shocked) what were they doing to you?

Sarah turns around and looks at him, shaking her head, and her eyes fill. He looks at her sadly then steps forward and gently hugs her, careful not to squeeze too tightly. Dean walks in the door carrying a suitcase. Dean softly chuckles to himself. They separate from the hug and Sam turns to glare at him. Dean sees Sarah is wearing his clothes.

Dean: (laughing) always wanted to see a girl wearing that shirt of mine. Though in my head it was kinda different how the girl ended up in my clothes -  
Sam: (frustrated) Dean! Will you knock it off?  
Dean: calm down Sammy, just making a joke  
Sam: is this situation a joke to you?  
Sarah: it's ok, Sam. I know Dean's just messing around -  
Sam: (looking at Sarah) he's just being an idiot for no reason, you must be so tired-  
Dean: I think we're _all_ a little tired right now Sammy.  
Sam: (angrily) Dean -  
Sarah: Sam, it's ok, really. Dean's right, we're tired. I think I should just lay down for a while -  
Dean: I think Sam should lay down with you, if you know what I mean, dude's all tense and cranky-  
Sam: DEAN!

Dean looks at Sam, surprised that he could be so agitated. But realises he hasn't slept all night.

Dean: (firmly and seriously) I wasn't kidding about the laying down thing, Sam. You were awake all night watching her and I think you should get some sleep.  
Sarah: (concerned) you stayed awake all night?  
Sam: (sighs and looks down at Sarah) I just wanted to make sure you were ok.  
Sarah: that's really sweet Sam, thank you (small smile) but you should try to get some sleep now  
Sam: (sighing more and closes his eyes, tiredly) yeah you're right

Dean throws his arms up in the air, frustrated.

Dean: what have I been trying to tell you?  
Sam: (to Sarah, ignoring Dean) how bout you?  
Sarah: (sees Dean putting the candy from his pockets onto the table) well I'm tired, but I'm also really hungry, but for something other than vending machine food  
Dean: aha! That's my kinda girl! (winks)

Sarah looks at him half smiling but confused, and Sam glares at him.

Dean: (coughs) err, there's a diner just down the road, but you said before that you didn't wanna leave the room so-  
Sarah: it's ok, the second vampire is gone now. Let's go to the diner.

Sarah walks over to Dean and turns back to look at Sam.

Sam: are you sure?  
Sarah: I'm sure. (smiles) you'll sleep better if we aren't here  
Sam: if you wanna stay in the room it's ok, I don't need to sleep-  
Dean: ohhhhh yeah you do. Get some sleep Sammy. We'll be back before you know it. (grins)

Dean quickly grabs a scrap of fabric from his suitcase on the bed. Sarah smiles at Sam once more then steps outside with Dean. The door shuts behind them and Sam is left in the room alone. He sighs, shakes his head, then takes off his shoes and jacket and lies on the bed. His eyes flutter and he is soon asleep.


	4. Chapter 4

At the diner, Dean gives the fabric to Sarah and tells her to put it around her neck as a scarf to cover her wounds. They sit down at a seat and the waitress comes over immediately.

Waitress: hey there sweeties! (looks nervously at Sarah's scratched arms) uhh what can I get for you?  
Dean: uhh, two coffees, two serves of bacon and eggs, over easy, and an OJ thanks.  
Waitress: (writing order) sure thing! (about to walk away)  
Dean: aaaand, for you Sarah?

The waitress realises Dean's order is just for himself and gives a quick fake smile to Sarah.

Sarah: um eggs and bacon please. Just one serve for me. And an orange juice. Thank you. (smiles)

The waitress smiles and nods and walks away.  
Sarah nervously plays with her fingers and looks down at the table. Dean watches her, curiously.

Dean: so, Sarah. How are you handling the whole, vamp thing.

Sarah swallows nervously and looks at Dean.

Sarah: I dunno... I'm ok I think. I'm just glad they're gone.  
Dean: was it just the two of them?  
Sarah: yeh just the two.  
Dean: how long did they keep you for?  
Sarah: (pain shows in her eyes) I lost track of the days pretty quickly. I think it was a couple of weeks.  
Dean: (horrified, slight disbelief) they fed on you for a couple of weeks?  
Sarah: I think so.. I couldn't see any windows or doors, I could never tell when it was day or night. But I started to notice they would sleep when the weather felt warmer and they were awake when it was cooler. I assumed that meant they only got up when it was night. I figured because of that, they must be vampires. Well, that and the way they kept feeding on me.  
Dean: That's awful. I'm really sorry that happened to you.

Dean reaches his hand over and lightly touches Sarah's hands. She gives a half hearted smile and looks down again.

Dean: your scratches look a lot better than before, but I guess they still look pretty bad to someone who doesn't know the whole story (motions to the waitress, who is glaring at Dean from the other side of the diner; he waves his fingers at her and she scowls and walks out back to the kitchen)  
Sarah: (looks up) yeah, I washed them the best I could but the hot water stung so I got out of the shower.  
Dean: and then the second vampire showed up  
Sarah: (eyes starting to water, looks down) yeah..

Dean squeezes her hands to try and comfort her.

Sarah: I'm really thankful you helped me. (looks up) If you and Sam hadn't found me in the woods, I don't know what would have happened. (starting to rant) I tried to run as fast as I could but I knew they'd be faster than me, I couldn't hear anything but I could feel she was getting closer. Thank you so much for helping me, I'm so sorry you had to get involved -  
Dean: hey don't apologise, this is what Sam and I do. We hunt things like this all the time. (winks at her) That's how we know exactly how to kill them.  
Sarah: (surprised) you hunt these things?  
Dean: yeah! We track em down, kill em, find more, kill them too. Not just vampires either. Ghosts, demons, all kinds of things. (bragging)  
Sarah: (scared) there are other things like that out there?  
Dean: (realises he's said too much) well uh, yeah (laughs nervously) but we don't need to talk about that right now..

Sarah smiles politely at him, then glances down and stares at her fingers again. A few moments of silence go by, until Dean's curiosity overwhelms him.

Dean: if you were there for such a long time, they must have been feeding you to keep you alive?

He immediately regrets probing her for more answers but relaxes when she responds calmly.

Sarah: (quietly) yeah.. every couple of days they brought me chips and candy, junk food like that.  
Dean: (nodding, thoughtfully) so that's why you weren't keen to eat the candy I had in the room...

Sarah nods, still looking down. Dean decides to leave it alone for now.

The waitress comes over with a tray and puts their food and drinks down, pretends to smile then walks away. Dean grabs his plates and starts munching down hungrily. Sarah smiles at him and starts eating her food.

Dean: I haven't eaten food like this in weeks.  
Sarah: (quietly) me neither

Dean looks at Sarah and feels very sorry for her. She continues eating, quickly but politely.

Dean: (mouth full of food) so anyways, let's talk about something other than vampires... something nice... like... Sam? Sam's nice, right? (winks at her)  
Sarah: (softly laughs to herself) Sam is very nice  
Dean: yeah, and you know what? He thinks you're nice too (winks again)  
Sarah: (blushes and shakes her head) stop winking at me (laughing softly)

Dean laughs quietly and grins at her, glad he made her smile.

They continue eating and making small talk. When they're done they stand up, and Dean accidentally drops his wallet under the table. Sarah bends over to pick it up for him and gravity causes her shirt to fall down slightly. Dean notices the bruises all over her sides and frowns in shock and disbelief. She starts to stand upright again and he quickly grins so she won't see his reaction. She hands the wallet to him with a small smile and he thanks her. He throws some money on the table and they leave.

Back in the room, Sam wakes up suddenly as a vision starts. He sits up and grabs his head, in pain, as the vision plays out. He sees Sarah walking along the road in the sunshine, before someone drives up next to her and grabs her into their car. Sarah screams and tries to fight them but they're strong and fast. The vision ends and Sam panics. He jumps out of bed and rushes out the door, scanning the road trying to see Sarah or Dean or the mysterious car. He sees Sarah and Dean walking casually from the diner and starts running towards them, frantic.

Sam: Dean! Get her inside! They're coming for her!

Dean looks at Sam from afar and frowns. Sarah shakes her head in confusion and fear.

Sarah: what's he talking about? Who's coming?  
Dean: I dunno, but he seems serious. Do as he says, get back inside the room.

They both run towards Sam and they all meet. Sam grabs Sarah's hand and pulls her towards the room. When they all get inside, Sam pulls Sarah to the corner of the room and sits her down on the bed. She looks terrified and confused. Dean locks the door and turns to look at Sam.

Dean: what's coming Sam? What is it?  
Sarah: (panicked) I thought you killed the vampires?  
Dean: we killed two of them but there might be more. What did you see Sam?  
Sam: (sits on bed next to Sarah) err I dunno, I didn't see who or what it was. I just saw a black car pull up and someone pulled Sarah inside.  
Sarah: (frowning) you saw the black car?  
Sam: yeah, you were walking along the road alone, uhh and a black car came up and someone grabbed you and took you.  
Dean: I wasn't there?  
Sam: (confused) no, I don't think so, I only saw Sarah-  
Sarah: (shaking her head, confused) that was when they took me  
Sam and Dean: (both look at her) what?  
Sarah: that's how they took me. The two vampires you killed.  
Sam: (confused) are you sure?  
Sarah: (confused but definite) yeah, I was walking home from the store in the afternoon and the black car came and they grabbed me. How do you know about that?  
Dean: (ignoring her question) so this has already happened?  
Sarah: uhh yeah, on the 13th, I dunno the date now but it must have been a while ago  
Dean: today's the 21st  
Sam: my vision is a week old? (disbelief)  
Sarah: vision? What vision?  
Dean: (ignoring her again) what month did it happen Sarah?  
Sarah: June. It's June, right?

Dean and Sam look at each other nervously. Sam looks back at Sarah.

Sam: it's July, Sarah. July 21st.  
Sarah: (shocked) it's July? I was there for that long?  
Dean: (frowning, confused, slowly pacing back and forth) that's a long time for vampires to keep a victim, usually they feed for a few days then either turn them or kill them.  
Sam: (looking at Dean) they must have been feeding her to keep her alive that long. Why would they go out of their way to keep her alive for a month?  
Dean: I don't know Sammy  
Sam: And they grabbed her in daylight, Dean. Vampires never do that unless they're suicidal.  
Dean: I know.  
Sam: and why was the vampire so desperate to get her back this morning that he attacked her here, in a public place?  
Dean: (almost frustrated) I don't know, but I think it's dangerous for us to stay here so we should leave. Now.

Sarah suddenly stands up. Dean stops pacing and looks at her.

Sarah: (scared) you're leaving?  
Dean: that's one of the perks of hunting, we move around a lot.  
Sarah: (disbelief) so you're just.. leaving?

Sam stands up and turns his body towards Sarah.

Sam: we're _all_ leaving. You're coming with us.  
Sarah: (looking at Sam) I am?  
Dean: (in the background) she is?  
Sam: yes, there's no way we're leaving you alone, you're coming with us.  
Dean: do you really think that's a good idea Sam?  
Sam: (turns to look at Dean) what do you mean?  
Dean: vampires so desperate to keep her alive they feed her for a month? And attack in broad daylight? Twice. Don't you think it sounds a little off?  
Sam: that's exactly why Sarah needs to stay with us Dean. If there's a reason they kept her alive so long and went out in the sunlight to get her, more will come after her.  
Sarah: (scared) more vampires?  
Sam: she can't protect herself against them, she needs our help  
Dean: Sammy I understand what you're saying but where are we gonna take her?  
Sam: I don't know  
Dean: it's not like we have a nice little home set up somewhere nearby. And for how long?  
Sam: I don't know  
Dean: this isn't what we came here for  
Sam: I know Dean  
Dean: I agree we should do our best to protect her Sam but we know nothing about this situation  
Sam: I know  
Dean: we don't know why they're doing this or how many of them there are. Vampires were thought to be extinct but apparently not. We're going into this blind, Sammy.  
Sam: (frustrated) I know, Dean! Look we'll figure it out ok? You said yourself we should get outta here, so let's go. There's no way we're leaving her here alone so she's coming with us.(starts moving around the room, packing up their belongings, including the silver tipped arrow on the bathroom floor)  
Sarah: (exasperated) I don't understand what either of you are saying, but _please_ let me come with you Dean. I don't have money on me right now but I -  
Dean: (sighing) we don't want your money Sarah.  
Sam: (stops moving around the room and stands next to Sarah, looking at her) we just want you to be safe.

Sam smiles down at her, trying to reassure her. She looks at Dean hopefully. Dean sighs and nods.

Dean: Sam's right. We wanna make sure you're safe. You're coming with us.

Sarah thanks them both and they pack their items and leave.


	5. Chapter 5

At the car, Sarah sees the dirty marks she made and sheepishly apologises to Dean. He smiles and waves his hand, telling her not to worry about it. Sarah sits in the back behind the driver's seat. Sam goes to the other side of the car and opens the back door as though he's going to sit in the back with her. Dean notices and looks at him before they get in.

Dean: you're sitting in the back?  
Sam: yeah, it's more comfortable in the back; I figured I should try to get some more sleep  
Dean: (smiling) ohhh right, sleep. _That's_ what you're gonna do back there.

Dean sits down in the driver's seat, leaving Sam standing in the car door, smiling and shaking his head, slightly frustrated but amused. He gets in the car and they drive away.  
In the backseat, Sarah closes her eyes and yawns sleepily; Sam notices.

Sam: (smiling at her) you look as tired as I feel  
Sarah: (smiles sheepishly back at him) yeah I'm pretty sleepy

Sarah closes her eyes and rests the side of her head against the backseat, slightly leaning towards Sam. Within a few minutes, he can tell she's asleep. They drive in silence for about 10 minutes, until Dean starts to get bored.

Dean: (looking at them in the rearview mirror, whispering) hey Sammy why don't you snuggle up against her and get some sleep?  
Sam: (whispering) Dean -  
Dean: you said you wanted to sit in the back to get some sleep, so why not?

Dean winks at Sam in the rearview mirror and Sam sighs.

Dean: come on Sammy, it'll be cute. And you're no fun when you're tired and cranky.  
Sam: I'm not going to 'snuggle up' to a girl I just met.  
Dean: aww come on, why not?!  
Sam: (frustrated but amused) because I'm not a pervert like you are! (yawns) I'm tired but I'm too stressed out to sleep right now. (pauses) I can't stop thinking about what they did to her Dean  
Dean: me neither Sam. It's brutal.  
Sam: we gotta make sure no one else tries to do it again.  
Dean: I agree with you, but we need to know more about it  
Sam: we killed the two vampires that were involved. I didn't see anyone else.  
Dean: we need to talk to Sarah about it. How she escaped, anything they did or said while they had her captured, find out if they gave away any clues about what's going on  
Sam: I don't think Sarah's going to want to talk much...it must be terrifying to think about it  
Dean: she'll talk when she's ready.. I think she's stronger than she looks.

Sam nods. His eyes glance out the window and he notices a building.

Sam: hey wait, what's that building?  
Dean: (quickly glances at it) dunno Sam, looks like an abandoned warehouse.  
Sam: warehouse?...it looks so familiar...wait! stop the car!  
Dean: what's going on Sammy?  
Sam: I think that's where they had her, I'm sure I saw it in my vision.

Dean brakes suddenly and Sarah wakes up, startled. She sits up and looks around.

Sarah: what happened? Where are we?  
Dean: sorry about the turbulent landing folks, we suddenly added a new destination to our itinerary. (grins at his little voiceover)  
Sam: (pointing) that warehouse over there...have you seen it before?  
Sarah: (confused) I'm not sure. I don't think so?  
Sam: could that be where the vampires took you?  
Sarah: (thinking) I don't know, maybe? I was blindfolded so I never saw the outside. When I escaped it was night, and I didn't look back if you know what I mean.  
Sam: (confident, looks at Dean) That's the place.  
Dean: no harm having a look, let's go.

Dean gets out of the car, so do Sam and Sarah. Dean heads to the trunk to grab a crossbow, just in case. Sarah looks over at the building from across the road and chews on her lips, unsure. Sam comes up next to her.

Sam: you ok?  
Sarah: (unsure) I think so  
Sam: we won't let anything happen to you. If there's anyone or anything in there, we'll make sure they're dead before they get a chance to get near you, ok? (reassuring smile)  
Sarah: (swallows nervously, nods weakly) ok..

Dean comes up next to them, nods at Sam, and they cross the road and walk towards the warehouse.

The warehouse door is carelessly left open. They walk inside and all they see is dirt and dust and wooden beams. They see a few shabby tables and a torn mattress on the floor. It smells of burnt wood. Sarah looks around nervously. They walk further and come across a pile of thick, bloody ropes. Nearby are a smashed wooden chair and a large wooden support beam that has obviously fallen. Sarah stops walking and Sam notices. He looks back at her, concerned, and sees her eyes locked on the ropes.

Sam: it was here, wasn't it?  
Sarah: (silence)  
Sam: you were here, weren't you?

Sarah silently nods, never taking her eyes from the ropes. Sam looks back towards the ropes and the smashed chair, realising they were the ropes she was tied with and the chair she was tied to. Dean squats down to inspect them.

Dean: there's a looooot of rope here.  
Sarah: (suddenly blurts out) they wound it around me when I was sitting in the chair. Around my waist and my ribs. Really tight. I could hardly breathe.

Sarah's eyes water and she points to the beam of wood on the ground.

Sarah: that beam.. was standing up..they wound the rope around me and the chair and the beam so I couldn't get away. Every time I moved, the rope cut into my skin through my clothes. After I tried to kick them they tied my ankles to the legs of the chair too. I was paralysed.

Dean looks around the room, stands up and casually walks around, inspecting walls and beams. Tears spill out of Sarah's eyes.

Dean: how did you get away?  
Sarah: (wipes away the tears, trying to be strong) there was a fire.  
Sam: a fire?  
Sarah: yea, the vampires went crazy trying to put it out. The beam I was tied to suddenly fell over and I was on my back on top of it. The chair broke, so I pushed and slid down off the beam and the ropes had enough slack so I wriggled out of them. I could hardly see from all the smoke and I couldn't hear anything but I eventually found the door.  
Sam: you couldn't hear anything?  
Sarah: no, just a buzzing sound in my ear.  
Dean: The vampires didn't notice you were escaping?  
Sarah: no...I guess they were too busy trying to stop the fire  
Dean: (a little suspicious) how did the fire start?  
Sarah: I don't know (shakes her head) but I'm glad it did because it helped me get away.  
Dean: (nods) hmmm... (suspicious) it must have been a real big fire if the vampires focused all their attention on it  
Sarah: (shrugs, uncertain) I guess so?  
Dean: and they must have been distracted for a real long time if you were able to run so far into the woods  
Sam: (frowning, confused) Dean, come on let's get outta here. There's nothing here and this place gives me the creeps.

Dean looks over at them. He flashes a quick grin and starts walking back towards the door they came in.

Dean: (still walking, slightly turning his head to speak behind himself) you're right, let's go.

Sam and Sarah follow him, glad to leave. At the car, Dean stops before they get in.

Dean: where to now?  
Sam: (shrugs)  
Dean: (almost too quickly) how bout your place Sarah? I mean I'm sure there's someone waiting for you at home?  
Sarah: (opens her mouth to reply but gets cut off)  
Dean: You've been missing a preeeety long time (almost sounds accusative) don't you want to tell your family you're ok and get back home?  
Sarah: (looks a little uncertain) uhh yea I guess?  
Sam: (frowns at Dean) uh what Dean means is, (smiles at Sarah) if you're at home you'll probably feel more comfortable.  
Sarah: (thinks for a moment then nods and smiles at Sam) yeah you're right.  
Dean: (fakely smiles at Sarah) yeah, how bout you get in the car while me and Sammy put the crossbow in the trunk  
Sarah: (slightly confused) ok, sure.

She gets in the car then Dean grabs Sam's arm and drags him to the trunk.

Sam: (confused, angry, whispering) what's gotten into you Dean? Why are you talking to Sarah like she's the culprit?  
Dean: (whispering angrily) because I think she is!  
Sam: what?!  
Dean: there's something not right about this Sammy.  
Sam: what are you talking about?!  
Dean: We drove 10 minutes to get here. How did she run all the way from here to the place we found her?  
Sam: (confused expression)  
Dean: you telling me she outran not one, but two vampires that far?  
Sam: (defensive) Dean, I'm sure there's an explanation -  
Dean: what about the fire?  
Sam: what about it?  
Dean: who started the magical fire that came along and saved her?  
Sam: (glares at him)  
Dean: think about it Sam! Do you really think both vampires were so distracted by a fire that they didn't notice her leaving?  
Sam: (angry) it's possible Dean. Stranger things have happened!  
Dean: no, there's something not right about this. If they really kept her alive for a month they wouldn't just let her walk out because of a little fire.  
Sam: Dean, she was terrified when we found her and she's covered in bruises and bites. Explain that.  
Dean: ok I haven't worked that part out yet  
Sam: and we both saw the vampire attacking her at the motel.  
Dean: true.  
Sam: I saw them feeding on her in my vision, and I saw them kidnap her in another vision. I didn't make that up Dean.  
Dean: I still think something's not right.  
Sam: look, we don't have time for this. Let's just take her home and talk to her more about it. I'm sure everything will add up when we know the whole story.  
Dean: (thinks for a moment) alright.

Dean closes the trunk and they both get in the car. Sarah looks at them, concerned. Sam smiles nervously at her.

Sarah: ummm.. is everything ok you guys?  
Sam: yeah uhh, Dean and I just, you know, we uhhh-  
Dean: we're brothers. We fight a lot.  
Sam: yeah, we argue all the time. Just family stuff that's all.

Sarah looks at Sam, unsure, and he smiles apologetically back at her.

Dean: so let's go to your place Sarah. What's the address?  
Sarah: (uncertain but continues) well, it's actually just a little further down the road. It's off a dirt track that's well hidden, but it's easy to find if you know it's there.  
Dean: (under his breath) off a well hidden dirt track, how convenient  
Sarah: what?  
Sam: uhh, what Dean means is, it's convenient that it's not too far away. We can get you home in no time. (smiles at her)  
Sarah: ohh... (smiles) ok

When Sarah looks away, Sam looks at Dean in the rearview mirror with an 'are you crazy?!' look. Dean ignores him, starts the car and they drive off.


End file.
